An Air of Power
by BurrbleFish
Summary: Seven businesses towered over the world, and a profitable share had just been read from the Senju's will. Eight companies must form an alliance and work together to fulfill the rest of the conditions within the will. But the Senju's successor, a beautiful pink-haired woman, will unintentionally make this alliance into a competition. For her heart. :: MultiSaku
1. Chapter One

**• Rated M for language and later content •**

* * *

 **• AN AIR OF POWER •**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

* * *

A layer of sweaty heat blanketed the room, the sounds of moans and creaks filling the large office. The desk held the weight of two bodies heavily stacked onto each other, and warm breaths mingled between them.

The woman's legs were up by the man's waist, dark grey pencil skirt hiked to the hip and top unbuttoned all the way. Her glasses, ribbon, and heels were discarded, scattered on the floor along with the man's tie and blazer. Their lips were smothered unto each other, and each creak was followed by a breathy moan. He was rocking against her, still fully clothed but still fully lusting.

As they separated, him releasing her lip with a pop, he trailed rough kisses from her jawline to her collarbone. She held onto his waist tighter, creating a hot friction against both their cores, groaning into his ear appreciatively at his mouth work.

The more he kissed, the louder she got, and when he sucked on a particular spot, she cried out in bliss. Large hands palmed along her thighs, sliding up against her rear. Her skin was smooth, muscles tightened to keep up with him.

Her hair tickled his nose.

He snapped back into reality at that precise moment, eyeing the strand of scarlet red hair sweeping across his vision. He inwardly shook his head and tried to forget the color, tried to envision it a lighter shade. But the more he licked at her skin, the more disgusted he became.

His hard on was rapidly deteriorating, and in frustration he bit her breast hard. She cried out, more so in pain, and was taken aback when he roughly shoved her away.

"Get out."

He was cold and straight to the point, rebuttoning his shirt and giving her an icy glare. Her blush of ecstasy turned into one of embarrassment, and she held her shirt tightly together while putting on her black rimmed glasses. Her deep maroon eyes watched her boss and she licked her lipstick stained lips, beginning to get desperate.

"Sasuke-kun," she began in an even tone, purring lightly at the end in an attempt of coaxing him back against her. "I'll tie my hair up better, please don't kick me out." She tried to remain calm, but began panicking when he picked up his cellphone. He was back in business mode.

Dammit.

"No Karin. It's not working," he replied just as evenly. He was already dialing a number, holding the device up to his ear. "Get out."

Karin knew she was in no position to fight back. She screwed up and she wasn't getting any of Sasuke today. Biting her lip to avoid tears of frustration and rejection, she got off the desk, picked up her heels, and bolted.

But Sasuke didn't care. She was his secretary and she had to come back lest she wanted to lose this high paying job.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering minutes earlier when her hair slipped from behind. She was supposed to keep it tied back, tucked away from his line of sight. It wasn't the color he wanted to see.

A year ago, he had attended a business party comprised of the most powerful businesses of the world. It was a huge commemoration as the last of the highest businesses were finally passed down to successors. The whole business world was being controlled by the new generation.

At that party, he had seen who took over the Senju Corporation. All he remembered was the sweet, baby pink hair that fell in waves of silk. The red dress she had worn was entirely modest but followed her curves so closely it could've been sinful.

He'd only seen her from behind, and since then could not get her out of his head.

Fucking Karin was fine. He'd banged so many girls since then. But none with pink hair.

He was obsessed, asking girls to tie their hair up so he wouldn't see the color. He would close his eyes, envisioning perfect pale skin beneath his fingers.

If he could see her face, he'd be complete.

 _"-o if the share goes to us, then the profit would be worth it. Of course we have to go to the party. Everyone's gonna be there trying to make a alliances and-are you listening to me teme?"_

Sasuke barely registered what Naruto had said on the other line. He didn't even realize he'd picked up. "Hn," was the automatic answer.

 _"You bastard,"_ echoed, followed by an aggravated grunt. _"I got no time for your bullshit."_

At this, the raven-haired businessman smirked. "I thought you always have time for me," he claimed, feigning hurt.

He could practically hear Naruto blanch in disgust. _"I thought you liked sticks up your ass, not dicks."_

"Watch it."

 _"Fine, sorry sorry. Anyways as I was saying, the party's on Saturday."_

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. Was this what he was talking about earlier? Oh damn, he hadn't been paying attention. "Is it mandatory to attend?"

 _"It's a huge profit, man. If eight of the businesses lock down and form an alliance kinda thing, the share is gonna get granted to us. It's a huuuuge profit if we can nab it!"_

He rolled his eyes. "So I'm assuming you want me to be your first ally."

 _"Well duh!"_

"Who's granting the share?"

Naruto momentarily went silent. _"Uh, I don't remember the name. The founder of the company is crazy rich though, but since he's going to pass away soon, he had his will read. The share is meant to go to eight businesses in alliance, and his daughter decides who."_

"His daughter?"

 _"Yeah. But his granddaughter is holding the company right now. She was at the party last year."_

But Sasuke missed that detail. "So someone like Yamanaka? Or Hyuuga."

 _"No, it's not Ino or Hinata-chan. Ino's company is too small and I think Neji's coming to the meeting on Saturday to make alliances so I doubt it's Hyuuga. The name was like... Sen-something. Senma?"_

Sasuke shrugged, assuming it fit. It was probably a big name company elsewhere and managed to build all the way up before moving into Fire country.

 _"Point is, it's supposed to be a big deal. Maybe we should be allies with Hyuuga, too."_

Sasuke ran a hand through his dark hair. Naruto sounded like he was taking this seriously, and if that was the case then this share was probably worth it. It wasn't often that Naruto did his research, especially when it came to work matters. "Alright, I'll go."

 _"Yes! Okay, I'll text you in a few minutes the time and place. I gotta go, Ayame's busting my ass for- OKAY OKAY, I'M COMING DAMMIT. Bye."_

The phone clicked and Sasuke chuckled, setting his cell down. Of course Naruto would get so excited about the share that he'd neglect his other duties.

 _'What an idiot.'_

* * *

Itachi had just finished calls of his own. His mood was notably lighter. He had just gotten off the phone with Sasori and Deidara, two of his most closest friends. They discussed the party on Saturday about the meeting of shareholders, and their company was definitely an ally.

He rubbed his temple lightly, allowing a hum of questioning when there was a knock on his door.

A head of messy scarlet hair popped into the room and he barely glanced in her direction, continuing to type on his computer. Karin sauntered in with a small plate and a cup of tea set on it. As she propped it onto his desk, he took notice of the lack of lipstick and the disheveled wrinkles on her clothes.

Probably his brother.

"Fix your appearance, you hardly look presentable," he murmured as he took a sip from his drink. Karin blushed a hundred shades and attempted to comb through her hair.

"It was your stupid brother's fault," she mumbled between clenched teeth. Itachi casted a sideways glance, lips still on the rim of his cup.

He knew of his obsession with wanting women to tie their hair up when he had her in bed, but he never understood why. And due to Karin's flustered state, he concluded that Karin's hair had slipped from the hairtie and bothered his little brother.

"If you hadn't accepted his advances and kept your legs closed, you wouldn't be in here looking like a street whore, would you?"

Karin's screech of anger went by unheard and she stormed out of the office.

 _'Why did we ever hire her as our secretary anyways?'_

She was willing, but a little too willing. She did her work well, but clung too much, like a monkey whose arms had looped around the brothers' too many times.

Whatever, that wasn't the biggest issue. Right now, he had allies to make. This share was well worth it - he'd done his research. He knew that dividing it between eight was still going to still be incredibly profitable despite the break up, but it would forge several official business partners from it. Under this share, an empire could be built. They would be unstoppable.

But still, he didn't know what the share was nor who was able to control it. Out of the eight, one company supervised the share. Whatever it was, it was going to create the strongest business bond and greatest business property.

Itachi smirked.

This was something that a hard business owner would get a boner at. This was no joke.

 _'Let's call Kakashi. Maybe he wants an alliance too.'_

* * *

Neji set down his cup of coffee, nudging a pawn into a new square. Shikamaru didn't even look, sending his bishop out to move. Gaara had left a few minutes ago, and the three had sealed an alliance. The pineapple headed man blew a puff of smoke and put out the cigarette in the glass ash tray, leaning back.

His gaze was disinterested, but there was a light that existed since the beginning of the meeting.

"A share, huh?" he began nonchalantly. Neji's pupiless eyes shifted upwards to him once before returning to the board to move his rook a few spaces forward.

"Interesting, don't you think?" the Hyuuga offered. Shikamaru chuckled at his tone.

"If Senju is hosting this share, it's very interesting."

At this, Neji paused, cup midway to his lips again. "Senju's hosting this share? Why didn't you mention it to Gaara?"

"I wanted to tell you first." He shifted his queen.

"Senju's power is absolute," Neji murmured into his cup of coffee, absently moving his knight. It was stolen by the opposing queen. In retaliation he took an open bishop. "This share is going to be worth more than anyone could imagine."

"Precisely. So if we play our pieces right, we can take this share."

Neji raised a slender eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

Shikamaru chuckled against, moving his king out of the queen's reach. "Think about it. If we ally the top eight companies, we'll definitely gain that share. We'll be unstoppable."

"I recall an Uchiha saying that," Neji muttered under his breath.

"Uchiha?"

Neji changed the subject. "Sasuke left a message earlier during the meeting about the share. Seems like he just heard about it."

"Perfect. Uchiha, Hyuuga, Nara, Sabaku. Sasuke probably already got a hold of Naruto, and Itachi most likely has Sasori and Deidara, and maybe Kakashi if we're lucky."

"But that's only seven."

"Hm. Maybe Akatsuki Corps? If Pein is going to show up."

Neji smirked. "Sounds like a plan, my friend."

"Indeed."

And a king was captured.

* * *

"Shizune, more sake please."

Tsunade had to use everything scrap of her great will to keep from destroying both her cellphone and the phone on her desk. Since the share announcement made by her father, people tried to contact her nonstop with a bribe or "donation" for a piece of it.

"Fucking pathetic," she muttered to herself, grateful when Shizune appeared with another bottle. She ignored the plate-like cup and took a swig from the bottle directly, easing her pulsating nerves. These scumbags were lower than dirt for thinking she'd give up the point of this challenge for a few meager million dollars.

"Tsunade-sama, there are three men who wish to schedule a meeting for today."

"Cancel all of them, dammit," Tsunade demanded, eyes narrowing until the amber shine turned into an icy topaz. "I don't need any more 'donations'. Charitable, but quite frankly unneeded."

As she continued to grumble under her breath, Shizune left the room with a concerned smile. Tsunade was working incredibly hard for the company, for her father, and for her share. But soon, her daughter was going to shoulder the entire weight of it while Tsunade managed overseas business rather than domestic.

Including the share.

 _'Poor Sakura.'_

* * *

 **• Alright I gotta say, I'm in no way a business major so I have absolutely no clue if what I'm saying is correct. Please bear with it XD I'll make it work eventually. In the mean time, I hope you all enjoy the story.** **•**

 **• I'm baaaack~** **•**

 **\- burrblefish**


	2. Chapter Two

**• Rated M for language and later content •**

* * *

 **• AN AIR OF POWER •**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

Ayame thwacked Naruto over the head and the blonde's eyes flew open in alarm. He promptly detached himself from his desk, a trail of drool connecting the sleek surface to his face.

"What happened?" he managed to grumble, confusion striking his handsome face. As soon as his eyes landed on his brunette secretary, who was steadily getting more annoyed, he fought the urge to flip over the desk and take cover.

She looked _pissed_.

"Naruto," she forced out between clenched teeth. He was too afraid to make a noise in reply, but she didn't care in the least. "You've been neglecting your work even more in the past week. The share holding party is _tomorrow_."

Her eerily calm tone sent violent shivers down his spine and he whimpered. The tension was rapidly escalating to the point of being near tangible. And damn was he terrified.

 _'Should I jump over her and run out the door, or hop out the window and fall down fifty floors?'_ he mentally debated.

"LISTEN TO ME YOU IMBECILE," she abruptly roared, violently snapping. She curled an arm around his neck in a firm hold before he could run, and took great pleasure in choking him in a death lock. "I've canceled _fourteen_ meetings in the past five days! Get a hold of yourself if you want to look presentable tomorrow!"

When he made a sound of retort, she tightened ten fold and he had no choice but to tap out, turning purple at the lack of oxygen.

She let go, hearing the satisfied thump of his face hitting his desk lifelessly. The puddle of pre-existing drool smeared over half his face, but he paid no attention and remained half dead, greedily drinking in air.

Ayame smoothed down her deep brown skirt and straightened her cream blouse, giving Naruto a pointed look that could've made him shit his own pants. "You have a meeting in fifteen minutes - don't skip out on it, _Uzumaki-sama_." She promised to bring him death if he didn't cooperate and he nodded his head rapidly in fear. She turned on her chocolate heels and stalked out of the room.

"...Damn, she's scary," he mumbled to himself, peeling his face off his desk. He checked the time and groaned when it was only eleven in the morning. It was such a bore sitting in his office all day. Hardly anything interesting ever happened save for the business parties. Even then, he was only in it for the food and for his friends.

He stared at his computer absently, the bright wallpaper staring at him. It wasn't often that he had his wallpaper on display. Usually, countless browsers were up, all composed of emails and tabs monitoring his marketing department and company profits and debts. Since he'd begun neglecting his duties, he hardly ever had anything on his computer.

Naruto's crystal blues lightened considerably at the photo on his screen. It was of him in high school with his beautiful best friend. He was wearing that odd orange shirt with a yellow swirl in the center - she'd gotten it for him and since then, orange had been his favorite color. The smile on his face was so wide, he had his eyes closed. One hand showed a thumbs up, the other slung over her shoulders.

He touched the computer monitor, thumb brushing over her face.

Her emerald green eyes looked like they held the world in them. They were big and bright and beautiful - one of her greatest features. The corners of her lips were upturned in a sweet smile, both of her small hands wrapped around his stomach in a hug. Over her shoulders spilled medium length carnation pink hair.

She always smelled like strawberries...

"I wonder where Sakura-chan is now," he muttered into his hand, still touching the monitor with his other arm.

He became best friends with Sasuke in middle school, but since he had to leave for Otogakure with his father, high school was lonely. In his sophomore year, he'd met Sakura. She nearly beat him up for accidentally peeking up her skirt the first day she arrived, and since then they were inseparable.

But after high school, his father had him learning the ropes around the company immediately. Sakura left for college as a medical and business double major, and they lost contact over the years.

Now that she was twenty six, she was probably absolutely gorgeous - she'd been beautiful in the past. If he could find her again, he'd help support her with the money he owned. She'd done a lot for him in Sasuke's absence and he was willing to give something as small as money in return.

 _"Uzumaki-sama,"_ was what pulled him out of memory lane. He glanced down at the small device on his desk as Ayame's voice filtered through. _"Your meeting is in five minutes. I'll send Senju-sama in as soon as she arrives."_

 _'Senju-sama?'_

"Thanks Ayame."

It took him a few moments to register, but as soon as he did, he realized he still had a puddle of saliva on his desk, and he still appeared utterly unpresentable from when Ayame was choking him. Frantically he took as many tissues as he could from one of the drawers on his desk and wiped it away.

"Agh, dammit it crusted over," he cursed, searching around his office for something to clean it with. He spotted the mini-fridge. Maybe soda would get it wet enough to remove.

He hurriedly popped open a can and spilled it over his desk. The saliva came off, but the soda began to stick.

"DAMMIT."

He punched the desk in frustration, glaring at it like a madman.

"How am I not surprised that you haven't changed one bit?"

Naruto froze in his shoes, hearing the words trickle into the room. He could recognize that melodious voice from anywhere.

His blue eyes, a pale blue in thick fear, shifted steadily towards the door. Ayame stood there, anger on her face at his mess, but the one to capture his attention was the figure dressed in pale lilac colors.

Sakura stood before him, holding a file of papers and bearing the most gentle smile on her face.

* * *

A pink-haired beauty stood in her own office, head in her hands. She had a meeting with _Naruto_ today. Of all people.

She absolutely had no clue how to face him. After eight years of disappearing, losing contact, and she just suddenly shows up in his office as one of the most powerful business women in the world? How the _hell_ would he react to that?

 _'He'd probably lose his shit,'_ she figured, massaging her temples.

A knock resounded on her door before it was swung open. Her mother, Tsunade approached her, Shizune close behind her. Amber eyes stared at the miserable figure sitting in her desk, and they softened into topaz pools.

She laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder, soothing the muscles with just a touch. When green eyes averted in direction, Tsunade's chest tightened.

Dan's eyes were green in the sunlight.

"Are you alright, Sakura? Can you handle meeting with Uzumaki?" she questioned gently. She knew of her daughter's friendship with the tycoon, and if this was going to complicate her emotional stability, she was willing to step in for the meeting. Sakura had just begun taking over the company last year - she had yet to attend to business meetings on her own.

But Sakura shook her head firmly. Though her eyes remained a pale green in inner indecision, she had a hard resolve.

"I can handle it," she replied, albeit slightly shakily. "I just...need some time to think."

Tsunade only nodded in response and motioned to Shizune. The dark-haired woman smiled slightly and set a bag carefully on Sakura's wide desk. She glanced up in questioning at the white bag.

"These are a change of clothes. For your first meeting."

Sakura took the bag and set it on her lap. She could only see pale lavender and white colors and sighed softly, left in a lighter mood. They took the time to make sure she felt comfortable in her skin and in her role.

"Thank you both," she murmured, fingering the soft fabric of the top.

Tsunade gave her a motherly smile before walking past the desk. She pulled the cord beside the wall of windows and allowed the pale curtains to fall. Shizune flicked on the lights and the office was completely covered from prying eyes. The blonde kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Get changed. The meeting is in an hour and we have to head to the car in thirty."

Combing her fingers smoothly through the younger girl's soft hair, she exited the room with her secretary.

Sakura sat at her desk, still unable to fully grasp the situation.

 _'I need to get changed first.'_

She grasped the hem of her light red top and pulled it over her head, setting it flat on the desk. She unbuttoned her slim black slacks and slid them off her lower half, unfastening her red heels once it got to the end.

The pink-haired beauty reached into the white bag and pulled out the blouse. It was sleeveless with a high neck, and the front fell in waves of ruffled fabric. It was smooth to the touch, colored a pale lavender. She slid into the slim cream white pencil skirt and allowed it to drape over her bottom and thighs, the end reaching several inches above her knee.

In the bag was a pair of lavender pumps and a box of simple pearl earrings. She sighed to herself then sweeped up all of her long petal pink tresses, twisting it up into a half-hearted bun.

Sakura breathed in deeply, staring at her reflection on her desk mirror.

She had to get a hold of herself. Just because she was meeting an old friend on new grounds, didn't mean that she had anything to fear. They were still the same people with the same likes and dislikes. Yes, they were on new terrain. Instead of being in the halls of some meek little high school, they were on top of the world as powerful business people.

But underneath the money, the glory, the wealth, they were still Naruto and Sakura. They were still two sides of the same coin, still best friends.

Sakura laughed listlessly to herself, tucking away her previous clothes in the bag and pulling on the cord by her windows.

The curtains swept back up and the light of the world re-entered her office. She was on the top floor of her building, and she knew she held immense, unimaginable power over the economy and the welfare of the people. She was in a world where every card that she dealt had to be played perfectly, otherwise everything would come tumbling down.

Her grandfather issued the share as soon as he was on his deathbed. He was dying and he had his will read for the world. He secured Sakura's position in the competition, but because she still went by Haruno, no one would know she was a Senju.

If people recruited her as a business ally without the use of her name, but her brain, then they were worthy allies and she would be a worthy successor to her grandfather.

He never approved of her as successor. His daughter, Tsunade had run away and had an affair with a Haruno. But it seemed as though not even exile would tear them apart, and Sakura still found a way back to her mother.

Because he was dying and because Tsunade firmly believed she needed someone to uphold the company after her, Sakura was the only choice. So he decided to use his will and play a game.

 _'Dirty old man,'_ Sakura murmured within her, picking up the bag and her cellphone. She flicked off the lights and exited her office.

If he wanted to play, they would play.

She set the bag on the secretarial desk, Shizune already sliding it beneath, and entered the elevator.

 _'Game on, grandpa.'_

* * *

Neji stood beside the limousine, awaiting Hinata's arrival in front of the Uzumaki building. She had only stopped by to supposedly deliver something to Ayame, though he suspected she might've lingered a little longer to see if she could catch a glimpse of the blonde idiot.

 _'Ah, speaking of which.'_

Hinata shyly bowed her head when the doors opened for her, and she walked down the steps carefully. The pink blush spread over her cheeks indicated she probably saw said man.

"Neji-nii, I'm sorry was I taking long?" she murmured when she came closer to the limo. He shook his head and stepped aside to open the car door, waving away the chauffer when he offered to instead. He was about to enter himself when another limo, one sleek white, drove up behind their's. Before he could ignore it, the door opened by itself and a figure stepped out.

He nearly gawked at who it was.

Carnation pink hair, pale skin, lilac clothes, and eyes greener than the forestry of Konohagakure.

Time stopped within that moment and the time it took for her long legs to take three steps felt like an eternity. Neji tried to swallow but something was blocking his throat. So he settled for licking his lips, making some female passerby faint at the sexily performed move.

 _'Am I going blind as I feared?'_

But he had no chance to move towards the woman in lilac. She was quickly strolling for the glass doors without so much as shifting her gaze even a bit. Not even his way.

By the time he regained control of his body, she was gone.

"Neji-nii...?"

He didn't hear the question. He was already in the limo, dialing Naruto's number.

Neji cursed when he didn't pick up. "DAMMIT YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING IDIOT." He continued to curse into his phone, dialing the same damn number, even scarily asking Ayame for Naruto as politely as possible. But nooo, he was in a _meeting_. Damn.

Oh. And Hinata was glued to the other side of the limo, fearing for her life.

 _'K-Kami-sama... save me...'_

* * *

Naruto stared intensely at the woman scribbling words onto a piece of paper across from him. It'd only been five minutes since the start of the meeting and already his head was whirring in a thousand questions. But as soon as he opened his mouth, nothing came out.

So he settled for burning holes in her head.

Annoyed, she casted her green gaze up at him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Got a question, Naruto?"

Immediately he pointed an accusing finger. He pointed all over her.

"Are you really Sakura-chan? How did your hair get so long? And you've got _curves_? And my god, where did you get" -points at chest- " _those_?"

A vein pulsed in her temple and she resisted the urge to punch him in the face. Calmly, she set down her pen and settled for a thick glare, which of course went by unnoticed.

"Naruto, it's been eight years," she began evenly. "Of course I've changed."

She lay her stare over his whole form, and despite his personality and his eyes remaining unchanged, she had to admit that he'd grown very attractive over the years. Time was doing him well and she saw the way his lean, muscular form was outlined beneath his button-up.

His burning gaze fell to his desk as he calmed down slightly. "But I heard Ayame say someone named Senju was coming in. Out of all the people in the world, I didn't think it'd be my old best friend."

"Old best friend?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. "I haven't changed a bit."

"But-But look at you!" he exclaimed. And then he was on the desk holding his head. "I can't believe this..." he muttered. The appearance of his best friend hit him like a ton of bricks at that moment.

He was _just_ thinking about her. How in the hell did she suddenly appear in front of him?

"If you're a successor, were you at the party last year?" he questioned, deliberately raising a blonde eyebrow. She nodded, and he was a little confused. "Why didn't I see you? I was there the whole time!"

She merely shrugged. "I couldn't go for too long. I came with my mother for a peek."

Naruto nodded then, but then a thought hit him. He would've realized if she were there had she been announced as a Haruno. But he only heard Senju. So... "Wait, so then if you're Senju, are you married?!" He wanted to die at that moment. Was she taken? By who, some sleezy businessman? Dammit!

But she only laughed. "I'm not married. I'm single."

He wanted to melt then and there in happiness. _'No, I have to be a man. I can't squeal like a girl. Even if I want to, my voice won't go that pitch. I'll just choke.'_

"Do you remember how my father was the only one taking care of me?" she questioned carefully, recalling her wonderful high school days shaking her dad awake for work and yelling at him for trying to cook dinner.

Naruto nodded. He remembered the tall, youthful man with long aqua hair. He was a great man with humor that rivaled his own father's.

"He passed away when I was nineteen."

The blonde man's eyes widened, and he had the extreme need to pull Sakura in his arms. The look in her eye screamed sadness and he wanted to wash it away.

"But my mother found me. Tsunade Senju found me."

He didn't want to hear any more. Instead he gave her the most blinding smile he could muster, and Sakura felt the tension in her shoulders disappear.

"We're still best friends, Sakura. Always." While the term no longer sat right with him, it was true. She was still incredibly important to him. Nothing would change that.

She offered the most gentle smile before her eyes returned to that powerful emerald glow. "Naruto, I came here for a reason."

He nodded, a little shocked at the way she controlled herself. Growing up with her, knowing she wanted to be a medical and business major, he knew she had a very serious side. But she rearely ever showed it around him. It was both scary and amazing being on the receiving end of it.

Where the hell did she disappear to to become this confident young woman sitting before him.

"Naruto, I'm sure you're aware of Senju's game, correct?" she asked, beginning to lay out the papers within the folder. He nodded as she slid one particular sheet over to him.

His eyes bulged out of their sockets as if he were a frog. Where in the _hell_ did these numbers come from?

"S-Sakura, what is this?" he stammered. The numbers were literally off the charts, the profits skyrocketing into the margins.

"The share is actually Senju's Iwagakure business," Sakura nonchalantly said, apparently not noticing the way Naruto was freaking out from sheer excitement. There were so many _zeroes._ "Because grandfather was the one who controlled the Iwa business, no one will control it. As in, neither my mother and I were willing. So instead it'll be offered as a share and divided between eight companies."

"B-But Sakura, why are you telling _me_ this?"

Sakura's crystal green eyes glanced up, and for the first time she noticed the way his strong shoulders were set in a firm, towering line. Though Naruto was a total procrastinator and goofed off quite often, he had the air of a corporate owner. He was panicking now, but it wasn't out of fear, it was out of sheer excitement. It was as if he was already trying to figure out what to do with the share without even realizing.

But she remembered his question.

It was quite simple really. It was entirely up to her when she decided to come here.

"Naruto, this is the first time I've been in a business meeting," she stated quite frankly. He raised an eyebrow and blanketed his azure stare on her. "I have never been in a real business environment. I need your help if I want to know what I'm going to be up against."

Yet his response was quick. He nodded then, already offering his help. She smiled at his willingness. Yes, he was still the same boy from all those years ago.

"I need-"

Unfortunately, a knock resounded on the door, and Ayame strolled in. She sent Sakura an apologetic look and Naruto a scathing glare before setting a small white bag on his desk.

"This came from Hyuuga Hinata," she claimed, nodding down towards the bag.

Naruto's eyes lit up. Hinata-chan, huh? He settled the bag on his lap, happy to receive a gift. Upon opening it, a mist violated his vision.

...

"IT _BUUUUUUURNNNNNNSSSSSSS!"_

* * *

Neji smacked his head against the window of the limousine, annoyed and a little drained from the incessant need to call Naruto. How the _hell_ did he score a meeting with someone like that woman? And damn, just who was _she_? Were they together? Was it a secret meeting between lovers?

No, that couldn't be. She had the air of a powerful figure. She must've been a business associate.

But Naruto had been neglecting his work duties the whole week. Why did he suddenly accept a meeting? With _her_?

 _'Fucking dammit.'_

"U-Um, Neji-nii?"

"Hn?"

He looked from the corner of his eye at Hinata, whose pearl gaze was wide with horror. She held a white bag in her hand, pulling out the necktie in it. Neji himself stared for quite a minute, and then realized exactly everything that was wrong with it.

They had gone for a quick shopping trip - Hinata for a tie for Naruto, and Neji for a few cans of pepper spray for Hanabi.

"W-We have to go back."

Oh but they were too late.

High pitched screams echoed throughout Konoha, earning a few howls from responding dogs on the street.

 _'Karma is a_ bitch _, Uzumaki.'_

And Neji laughed evilly whilst Hinata contemplated calling a mental hospital.

* * *

 **• Aw man, my characters must feel a little stiff. But please don't mind that too much :P I'm trying to get back into the game after being away so long, so lemme test the waters. And then I'll be happy to come back and rewrite these chapters.** **•**

 **• A big thank you to all those who reviewed. And yes to many of you - Sakura will be chased by several delicious men. And some might even get to second base. _Ooooooohhh_** **•**

 **• I apologize for the slow development in the chapters, but things will pick up in the next few chapters once we approach the party and onwards** **•**

 **• I might update pretty fast. I'm quite fond of this story haha. But for now, ta, my children~** **•**

 **\- burrblefish**


	3. Chapter Three

**• Rated M for language and later content •**

* * *

 **• AN AIR OF POWER •**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

The eldest Uchiha sat amongst two of his greatest friends, cup of black coffee in one hand, six packets of sugar in another. He daintily opened all six packets in one go and poured it into his 'blacker-than-his-soul" beverage. As he leaned back, he witnessed Sasori drop a look beneath brown lashes.

"Something tickling your throat?"

He was met with a mild look. "You wound me, Uchiha." A manly snort was his reply, at which he chuckled, and continued to rifle through the file he held in his fingers. "Too much sugar is bad for you. And this is the most recent report?"

For the most part, Sasori's sentence was ignored. "It is."

"One would think the ultimate Uchiha police force would be able to find one person," Sasori muttered into the papers, eyes scanning rapidly over small words. "But it looks like not even you guys can find the successor."

"You asked for basic information, and we got it," Itachi retorted. He set down his cup, tossing a fleeting look at Deidara asleep on the couch. "She's a woman in her middle twenties."

"She's young for a successor," Sasori praised, putting the file down. "Unfortunately, gender and obscure age don't entirely narrow down all the women in the world."

"Well I was informed of one more piece of evidence." Itachi pulled his tie from his collar loose, leaning backwards in his chair even further and setting a foot on Deidara sleeping buttcheek. "She has pink hair."

At this, the red-haired business man raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring Deidara's jiggling cheeks from being prodded. "Pink hair? That narrows it down quite a lot."

Itachi nodded. "Though I'm not aware of any pink-haired businesswomen in this country."

"Me as well."

"Isn't that her, un?"

Deidara's sleepy voice murmured through the room as his single crystal blue eye rolled out the window, oblivious to the Italian leather clad toe grazing his twin cheeks. Itachi casted a sideways glance at him before launching his stare out the window and into the office of the Uzumaki CEO.

True to his word, a woman with pastel pink hair was standing across the street in the Uzumaki's office. Her back was to the window, and Itachi could only make out a white top, a skirt, and some heels. Nice figure. Unfortunately, none of them could see her face.

Sasori pulled out his cellphone and took a picture just as Itachi paged for his head of security, retracting his foot from exploring the thoroughly aware and thoroughly creeped out blonde man on the sofa.

"Across the street. Bring me the woman with pink hair when she exits the building."

 _"Roger."_

* * *

Sakura reveled in being with her childhood friend once again. He was still a complete and utter idiot, but in a great way. Still blonde and blue eyed, but much _much_ prettier. Not that he was bad looking before, but my kami did the divine beings bless this child's adulthood.

Naruto closed the door to his office behind him, waving off the blonde woman who tried to nervously close it herself. He, with the widest damn grin on his face, approached Sakura and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura-chan, where do you wanna go?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the handsome man, smile tugging on the corners of her lips. "Where do I wanna go? Where are you taking me?"

The pair walked a few steps and stopped by Ayame, who halted in her typing to look at her boss with a questioning look.

"Lunch, of course!" Naruto enthusiastically claimed. It was followed by a fist to the noggin. "OW. AYAME-CHAAAAN."

"Don't 'Ayame-chan' me," the brunette spitfire secretary shot, standing behind the desk. "You can't just walk out of here like some celebrity. You have work to do, and I'm betting Haruno-sama does as well."

She gave him reprimanding stare down when he attempted to fire back, causing him to whimper in fear. The brunette then turned to Sakura with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for the scene, Haruno-sama. _Uzumaki-sama_ is much more presentable most days."

Sakura only curled her sweet pink lips in a smile, patting the desk. "No worries, Ayame. I've known this kid for years. He's gonna be like that well into his eighties."

Ayame giggled and gave a short bow as the pinkette walked in the direction of the exit, dropping her business card on Ayame's desk.

"Naruto, be a good CEO and get to work. Call me," she threw over her shoulder, Shizune by the elevator.

Naruto scrambled to his feet after his fit, Ayame in tow, and stood at the elevator, Sakura, Shizune, and her two guards already inside.

"It was great seeing you Sakura-chan!"

Though his words were cheerful, his eyes glimmered in part sadness, part confidence. Sakura knew precisely why.

She gave a warm smile, Shizune bowing shortly, just as the elevator doors drew close.

The Haruno businesswoman pulled out her smartphone just then, and began to scroll through her calendar and various documents. She scheduled a meeting with the Hatake corporation for today, and tomorrow was the party. It would be her big reveal.

She pulled out of her calendar and scrolled through documents upon documents on data of the shares. Stocks were skyrocketing and showed no signs of stopping. This meant that the share was probably going to be the greatest profit in business history.

"Shizune, what were the ideas on how to handle the share?"

Shizune opened the folder in her hands and located a purple sticky note. "Opening business, buildings, schools, etc. That's what's written here."

"Do I have anything specific?"

"No, not particularly."

Sakura switched gears and left her mother a text message. "Put down a hospital. I want to open two big hospitals here in Konoha with branches along the border. Look into healthcare and the insurance system and let's see what we can cut so people can have affordable treatment."

"But your grandfather-"

Sakura clicked her phone shut and placed it away.

"My grandfather will have no power on the share as soon as it's in my alliance's hands."

Silence crossed the tight space, followed by the low scribbling of a pen.

The elevator pulled open, and one of the guards stepped forward to shield her front, the other behind her and Shizune.

The quadruple walked through the Uzumaki lobby, basking in dignified air amongst the many people littering the businessworld. This would become a world in Sakura's grasp, and by kami she would carve an empire out of rubble. She was going to take down her grandfather's selfish company and rebuild it from the bottom up.

Senju would become _known_ , not forgotten.

She exited the building, nodding at the train of people cycling through surprise, starstruck, and bowing.

Just as she was escorted into her limo, four people dressed in black suits and shades approached from all four sides.

Sakura, alerted, turned around to reach for Shizune, who was grabbed from behind by one of the suits. She struggled, trying to pull out of his grasp and reach for Sakura.

The other two bodyguards were also being occupied by suits. The fourth one grabbed for Sakura's arms, and she attempted to pull away. He was strong and his hands were wide, and she struggled as he began pulling her into the building across the street.

"Sakura!" Shizune shouted, pulling out of a suit's grasp and turning to throw one of her heels at his face. It did nothing to him, and he continued to lunge for her, locking her to the side of the limo. The driver inside sat, terrified and speaking rapidly into a phone.

Sakura desperately wriggled out of the man's grasp, wildly tossing her body around. She thought for a sparing moment, then quickly grabbed backwards onto the man's blazer. She felt him loosen slightly in surprise.

She yanked downwards and likewise launched herself upwards. Flipping her body in midair, her feet were on the man's back, and she pulled with all her might, straightening her knees from the bent position.

The man's blazer tore at the arms, shoulders most likely dislocated at the force of the pull. There was a crack, and he hit the pavement hard.

Sakura landed on her feet and wasted no time in lunging for the suit on Shizune. She picked up the woman's fallen heel and threw it. Shizune caught it in her open grasp and smashed the heel into the suit's shades.

The man cried out in pain, releasing Shizune. Sakura whizzed by, knocked Shizune into the open limo, and used the door to maneuver her body to kick. She took down the guard.

The suits pushed at the guards in a feeble attempt to catch the pinkette. She hopped up onto the top of the limo and yelled for her guards to retreat into the limo.

She smacked the windshield twice. "DRIVE!"

The chaffeur fumbled and put the car in drive as Shizune shut the door, window down. Sakura threw her heels at the remaining guards, and they went down just as she slipped into the car through the window, right before the limo picked up speed.

With anger, she pulled out her phone and made a call.

* * *

Sakura paced back and forth in her office, brutally releasing a string of colorful curse words. She _knew_ who sent those blacksuits. The damn family insignia was all over the inside of their jackets.

"For CEOs, they're quite stupid," she muttered under her breath. She was still fuming and refused to sit down. Uchiha and their pride - she knew precisely what kind of people that family was. The Uchiha Corporation owned a multitude of business branches specializing in law-enforcement. If she remembered correctly, they were international ambassadors until Fugaku, the head of the company, shot a snarky remark at a corporation located in Cloud Country about everyone being "inhumanely paper pale, like straws." And if she remembered correctly, they lost total monetary support from the stereotype comment. Likewise, he refused to apologize, so his company lost the status as international ambassadors, and the title was given to the more calm Hyuuga family.

 _"Haruno-sama, Hatake-sama is here to see you."_ Shizune's voice on her telephone broke her silent anger, and Sakura attempted to visibly calm down. She left the window and walked over to her desk, pressing the round button.

"Send him in ten minutes."

 _"But Haruno-sama, your meeting has already been delayed an hour."_

Ah yeah, Sakura remembered the second reason why she was angry. Kakashi-damn-Hatake was an hour late for their meeting - the meeting in which she fought a bunch of blacksuits for in order to make. If she had the extra hour, she would've called the police and had the Uchiha family ensue in internal suffering, but _noooo_. She beat up a bunch of guys and rode the top of a car for nothing.

"He was already late an hour, he can wait ten more minutes."

There was a short silence on the other side before Shizune obliged. Sakura took the opportunity to sit in her desk and allow the steam to fully disappear. She rubbed her temples slowly, then breathed through her nose, allowing steam to leave her system. Then, she picked up her clothes on the floor, the ones that were ripped and dirtied from the previous encounter, and tossed it into the trash can.

She currently wore a fitted pair of white high-waisted slacks and a champagne, sleeveless, high-necked top. Matching champagne-colored pumps adorned her feet. Sakura combed through her hair with her fingers, then pulled the long waterfall by the fistful, twisted it up rapidly and secured it with a pair of rose-gold ornamental chopsticks in a loose ponytail. She momentarily checked her appearance in the reflection of her desktop, then pressed the round button on her telephone.

"Shizune, please send Hatake-san in."

There was a tonal agreement, and then the connection cut. Sakura took a moment to gather her thoughts, pulling papers out from her desk and various stats and charts on her desktop.

By the time she found a pen to use, her office door had swung open. On cue, her demeanor straightened into formality, she stood up to greet her guest.

Shizune stood at the door, propping it open and lowering her head slightly. In came another figure - he was tall and muscled beneath the suit he wore (she could simply tell). His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and his tie a little loose. The button up was folded up at the sleeves, still tucked into his trousers, but he lacked a blazer. Overall, he appeared extremely lax.

It was his face that Sakura had to momentarily pause at.

He was handsome, that she knew. But his expression was distinctly amused and mildly interested. The lower half of his face was covered by a black medical mask, the ones teenagers wear nowadays. Grazing the top of the mask were his eyes, fluttering ever so slightly to reveal what little emotion he expressed. One eye was as black as the midnight sky, the other one a deep red defined by a large, faint scar over his eyelid.

Yes, he was handsome. But he screamed something dangerous.

Sakura picked her scattered brain back up and nodded a thanks to Shizune, who bowed and closed the office door. Sakura stuck a hand out to the man, and he held it with a large palm and fingers. The handshake was light.

"You have quite a grip for a female, Miss Senju," Kakashi mused lightly. Sakura didn't take the moderately sexist comment to heart and only allowed a small smile.

"My last name is Haruno, I'd like you to address me as such. Otherwise, just call me Sakura," she commented lightly. She wanted him to steer away from her name. "I am merely another player in the game."

The slightest quirk in his eyes was what tipped off his interested expression. He sat himself in the seat across from Sakura, who simply opened the folder on her desk and placed it before him.

The silver-haired man took it delicately and laid it open. Scribbles of notes were all over the place, and he took in the information quickly.

"You want to ally for the share," he said after a few moments. He then placed the paper he was glancing over down. "What makes you think I want to add you into my alliance?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You've already gotten in contact with people." It was more of a statement than an inquiry.

"A few," he nonchalantly threw. He got up from his perch and adjusted his tie. "Thank you Miss Haruno, but I'm not interested in a little friendship over such a huge share." His smile was good-natured underneath his mask, but Sakura knew what this meant. This was a simple business game.

He didn't want to ally because she wouldn't be able to tip the game in their favor. She was under her grandfather's shadow, and wasn't considered a real player. She had no connections. She was practically a baby. _Still_.

Frustrated at the realization, her green eyes darkened in slight irritation. Kakashi Hatake was an excellent business man - she knew he played his cards well. But he was being nit-picky this time. And without a little favoritism from gramps, he wasn't willing to give up a prized spot in his alliance.

"Thank you for this meeting," he began again, walking for the door. Sakura followed slightly in tow, lost in her thoughts, and nodded very slightly at his near meaningless gratitude.

She waited a damn hour to be shut down in five minutes. Goddammit.

Suddenly, she was met with the hard frontside of Mister Hatake, and surprised, took a step back. Strong arms steadied her waist. It was then that she realized the older gentleman's face was staring down at her and she looked up, locked on his gaze.

His eyes were intense, almost playfully sly.

He slowly withdrew his hands, and grinned. It felt different this time - a little more coy.

"Not hard feelings," he drawled out. "But I'd love to go for coffee some time, _Sakura_."

The way her name was said made her rigid inside. It was her defensive front coming to attention, and the heated irritation from the failed meeting began crawling up her spine. She stepped backwards and sat on the edge of her desk, pressing the black button for Shizune.

Her eyes remained locked on Kakashi as the atmosphere sunk into a predatory state. _What in the hell was going on_?

"Shizune, can you see Mister Hatake finds his way out?" She was wary as he stared her down, never seeming to blink, never seeming to move.

This was _dangerous_.

And then he advanced.

Every single muscle in her body coiled tightly in half fear, half anxiety. Alarms rang throughout her head as he closed the distance between them one step at a time.

What seemed like an eternity was really a few seconds, and he was directly in front of her, leaning into her frame. She was trapped against the desk and was absolutely frozen - even her heart felt like it slowed to two beats a minute.

 _What in Kami's name was going on?_ She could take those blacksuits in broad daylight, but this man in her office, on her _terrain_ , was fucking her over. _Shit_.

He gazed directly into her green eyes, which turned into a sharp color at the amount of wariness in her. Something... something _scary_ glinted in his eyes.

"I've never heard of you before," he began in a low tenor that was extremely different from earlier. "You're so... _curious_."

The stare was so intense, she felt her throat constrict. It was definitely predatory - terrifyingly so.

" _Where have you been all my life, little spitfire_?"

Oh, _fuck._

In that moment, her world suddenly spun in the sharpest one eighty degree. A few things happened at once: the door opened, Shizune was there, and Kakashi was by the door, grinning that little saint-like smile under his mask.

Shizune stared at her boss sitting on her desk, looking like a frozen monkey, and raised an eyebrow. "Miss... Haruno?" She didn't move. "Um... well... Mister Hatake, please follow me out..."

"Yes, of course," he murmured lowly, casting the deepest sideways glance towards Sakura when Shizune turned away. He grinned again, but it appeared a little more catlike, a little more playful. "It was wonderful meeting you, Miss Sakura."

And he was gone.

It took a few minutes of time for Sakura to regain her breathing. Her chest was heavy with pressure and the coil constricting her throat disappeared after a while.

What in the world was that?

 _Who_ was that?

Her entire plan took an immediate dive. Did she come off too cocky? Too confident? No, Kakashi liked that confidence. It was merely because she didn't have the connections to her grandfather like Kakashi thought she would. He thought that if he invited her into his alliance, it would tip the scale in his favor.

But she _wasn't_ a favorite granddaughter. She was playing the game fair and square, and she realized this was her first business sociality. She had little experience in maintaining credibility because in truth, she had none (not yet at least). She merely let the fact that she had Naruto get to her head.

 _But wait a second._

Naruto Uzumaki - Uzumaki Corps was a huge company. And she knew he and Sasuke Uchiha would have been in an alliance (blondie told her about life after she left in their meeting). Kakashi Hatake was known to be in huge connection with the Uchiha Corps, kind of like a sister branch but stronger. If so, then they were indirectly connected.

Unfortunately, for the alliance to be set in stone, everyone needed to agree on the members, and Kakashi wasn't fully convinced of her ability. Likewise, she knew Uchiha knew who she was after the morning's incident, but she also knew that there were two brothers in power over the company. Only one of them had knowledge about her.

It likely wasn't Sasuke - his office window was on the other side of his building. It was most likely the Uchiha in the office across from Naruto's - the eldest. She clenched her jaw. The name "Senju" threw both Naruto and Kakashi off. She made a mental note to contact the blonde and Shizune.

At the party, she was going to be introduced as _Haruno_. Not Senju.

As she thought, she had managed to assume pacing, walking back and forth in contemplation. This changed the game.

Ultimately, it was down to this party. If she could show her personal appeal, she would do it. She had to exemplify her business ethic and lock her position in the alliance, otherwise her years of trying to run from her grandfather's shadow would have been in vain. She had to play this game knowing that they were after a prize, and not a friend, and she had the skill to win that prize too. She would prove her grandfather wrong and make "Haruno" memorable.

Sakura sat at her desk with new empowering resolve.

She had to look and feel like the best in order to play a game made for men.

* * *

 **• Okay, I really feel like I rushed that end, but try to bear with me lol. I'm going to start speeding up the story. I'm also still a little lost with how I had wanted this to go (transitions made things lost LOL). so if I find discrepancies in the story, I'll come back to fix them. I will try to retrieve the docs. Worst case scenario: I start a new story and put this on hold. BUT this will still find an end. THANK YOU for still remaining with me.** **•**

 **• But hello my beautiful readers! It's been years and I've been dug up from beyond the grave. •**

 **• I am currently in college and for those of you living that life: I feel your pain. •**

 **• LOL. Thank you for reading! I will try to get back into the spin of things since I find myself having more freetime (and more stress) than I did in high school. Look forward to that! Besides, you wouldn't want to miss Sakura getting the guy, amirite? There is a poll up on my profile which will determine her final man, but before that, the boys shall fight hehehe.** **•**

 **\- burrblefish**


End file.
